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Local taxes › Polk County › Windsor Heights

City

Windsor Heights

Polk County · How cities work

$3,270 a yearproperty tax on a $200,000 home here, FY27, for every local government ($38.80 per $1,000 of taxable value)1
$1,200 a yearof that goes to the city ($14.30 per $1,000)
$4.0Mproperty taxes the city levies, FY27
$17.4Mcity budget, FY27, without city-run utilities (not yet reported)2

Who runs it

The city council passes ordinances, adopts the budget and sets the city’s property tax.

  • Fletcher BarryWindsor Heights City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • Joseph JonesWindsor Heights City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • Lauren CampbellWindsor Heights City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
  • Mike JonesWindsor Heights Mayor · elected November 4, 2025
  • Susan SkeriesWindsor Heights City Council At-Large · elected November 7, 2023
  • Threase HarmsWindsor Heights City Council At-Large · elected November 7, 2023

Officials are worked out from election results: every member whose four-year term is still running, plus appointments and titles Iowa Funnel has been told about. A resignation may not show yet.

Meetings and agendas

What the council is deciding: each agenda, the resolutions and ordinances on it, and a plain-language summary.

Iowa Funnel doesn’t read this city’s agendas yet. Every council and board posts its agenda at least 24 hours before it meets.

Property taxes

How the bill is collected · What each levy is for

Who gets a property owner’s tax bill in Windsor Heights

Homes and businesses in most of Windsor Heights pay a combined $38.39 per $1,000 of taxable value (FY27). They pay it all to the Polk County treasurer, who passes each government its share; the city sets and gets only its own piece, $14.30. Estimate your bill.

Rates over time

Per $1,000 of taxable value: the typical combined rate people in Windsor Heights pay, and the city government’s own piece of it.

YearCombinedCity’s own
FY20$47.53$16.52
FY21$45.33$14.48
FY22$42.48$14.48
FY23$40.73$13.77
FY24$38.66$13.77
FY25$40.48$14.24
FY26$37.92$14.21
FY27$38.80$14.30
Show the numbers
YearCombinedCity’s own
FY20$47.53$16.52
FY21$45.33$14.48
FY22$42.48$14.48
FY23$40.73$13.77
FY24$38.66$13.77
FY25$40.48$14.24
FY26$37.92$14.21
FY27$38.80$14.30

Compared with places this size3

Windsor Heights’s city property tax rate of $14.30 per $1,000 is the 24th lowest of 61 Iowa cities with 3,400–7,600 people. The middle of the group is $14.82.

Red Oak: $20.65Oelwein: $20.16Albia: $19.70Eagle Grove: $19.32Independence: $19.01Iowa Falls: $18.86West Liberty: $18.68Chariton: $18.37Atlantic: $17.48Knoxville: $17.46Clarinda: $17.25Centerville: $16.85Algona: $16.75Vinton: $16.25Winterset: $16.15Cresco: $16.13Humboldt: $16.00Anamosa: $15.95Charles City: $15.95Forest City: $15.77Decorah: $15.52Sheldon: $15.33Estherville: $15.27Washington: $15.21Harlan: $15.07Shenandoah: $15.02Creston: $14.99Manchester: $14.96Jefferson: $14.88Hampton: $14.86Carlisle: $14.82Cherokee: $14.82Glenwood: $14.77Waukon: $14.76Nevada: $14.58Monticello: $14.49Osceola: $14.37Osage: $14.29Orange City: $14.01Hiawatha: $13.78Rock Valley: $13.76Sergeant Bluff: $13.70Emmetsburg: $13.70Mount Vernon: $13.50New Hampton: $13.44Adel: $13.43Maquoketa: $12.85Camanche: $12.75Le Claire: $12.64Tiffin: $11.80Huxley: $11.68Polk City: $11.00Carter Lake: $10.67Story City: $10.39Dyersville: $10.27Spirit Lake: $10.17Clear Lake: $9.85Asbury: $8.32Eldridge: $8.13Evansdale: $8.00Windsor Heights: $14.30$8.00 lowest$20.65 highestmiddle
See all 61
#PlaceRate per $1,000People
1Red Oak$20.655,420
2Oelwein$20.165,788
3Albia$19.703,579
4Eagle Grove$19.323,615
5Independence$19.016,266
6Iowa Falls$18.864,993
7West Liberty$18.683,724
8Chariton$18.374,278
9Atlantic$17.486,717
10Knoxville$17.467,440
11Clarinda$17.255,334
12Centerville$16.855,345
13Algona$16.755,341
14Vinton$16.254,962
15Winterset$16.155,421
16Cresco$16.133,890
17Humboldt$16.004,774
18Anamosa$15.955,845
19Charles City$15.957,081
20Forest City$15.774,199
21Decorah$15.527,454
22Sheldon$15.335,584
23Estherville$15.275,796
24Washington$15.217,281
25Harlan$15.074,898
26Shenandoah$15.024,878
27Creston$14.997,421
28Manchester$14.965,283
29Jefferson$14.884,148
30Hampton$14.864,340
31Carlisle$14.824,381
32Cherokee$14.825,186
33Glenwood$14.775,250
34Waukon$14.763,799
35Nevada$14.587,082
36Monticello$14.494,095
37Osceola$14.375,585
38Windsor Heights$14.305,106
39Osage$14.293,559
40Orange City$14.016,547
41Hiawatha$13.787,347
42Rock Valley$13.764,024
43Sergeant Bluff$13.705,335
44Emmetsburg$13.703,632
45Mount Vernon$13.504,518
46New Hampton$13.443,433
47Adel$13.436,763
48Maquoketa$12.856,064
49Camanche$12.754,536
50Le Claire$12.644,776
51Tiffin$11.806,695
52Huxley$11.684,737
53Polk City$11.006,430
54Carter Lake$10.673,752
55Story City$10.393,439
56Dyersville$10.274,559
57Spirit Lake$10.175,548
58Clear Lake$9.857,602
59Asbury$8.326,051
60Eldridge$8.136,967
61Evansdale$8.004,515

The $8.10 limit

Windsor Heights’s general levy is $8.31 per $1,000 of taxable value in FY27, $0.21 above the limit; it has to come down in steps.4 85 of 934 Iowa cities have a higher general levy. All cities.

FY23 $8.10 · FY24 $8.10 · FY25 $8.31 · FY26 $8.31 · FY27 $8.31 (before FY25, the general levy alone)

Outside the limit: $5.99 more5

  • Total Employee Benefit Levies$3.40 · $924,114
  • Debt Service Levy$1.79 · $625,794
  • Liability, property & self insurance costs$0.77 · $208,317
  • Support of a Local Emerg. Mgmt. Comm.$0.03 · $7,440

Tax increment financing (TIF)

Windsor Heights’s TIF revenue, from its reports to the state. It budgeted $2.3M in TIF revenue for FY25.

$2.2M
$1.9M
YearTIF revenue
FY16$1.7M
FY17$1.8M
FY18$1.9M
FY19$1.8M
FY20$2.2M
FY21$2.2M
FY22$1.9M
FY23$1.9M
Show the numbers
YearTIF revenue
FY16$1.7M
FY17$1.8M
FY18$1.9M
FY19$1.8M
FY20$2.2M
FY21$2.2M
FY22$1.9M
FY23$1.9M

The city’s levies, FY27

What the city raises from each levy. The general levy is capped by state law; the others are set aside for one purpose.

  • Consolidate General Fund$2.3M56%
  • Total Employee Benefit Levies$924,11423%
  • Debt Service Levy$625,79416%
  • Liability, property & self insurance costs$208,3175%
  • Support of a Local Emerg. Mgmt. Comm.$7,4400%

Budget and spending

Reading a local budget

Where each dollar of Windsor Heights’s budget goes, FY26

Capital Projects: 58¢ of every dollar58¢Public Safety: 17¢ of every dollar17¢Debt Service: 9¢ of every dollar9¢General Government: 4¢ of every dollarPublic Works: 4¢ of every dollarEverything else: 8¢ of every dollar8¢

Planned spending from all funds, including city-run utilities like water and sewer (“business type”), which some cities run and others don’t. Transfers between funds are left out. “Cities this size” is the average for the 60 Iowa cities closest in size (3,400–7,600 people).

Where it goesOf each dollarCities this size (60)
Capital Projects58¢18¢
Public Safety17¢13¢
Debt Service9¢7¢
General Government4¢5¢
Public Works4¢8¢
Everything else8¢49¢

Planned spending, FY27

All funds: property taxes, utility and other fees, state and federal money. “Business type” is city-run utilities and enterprises like water or sewer.

  • Capital Projects$8.0M46%
  • Public Safety$4.0M23%
  • Debt Service$2.2M13%
  • Public Works$1.1M6%
  • General Government$881,1755%
  • Community and Economic Development$744,0004%
  • Culture and Recreation$502,7193%

The state’s FY27 file doesn’t include business type / enterprise yet ($928,458 in FY26), so this total is low.

Budget compared with what it spent, FY23
FunctionBudgetSpent
Public Works$914,410$742,168
Public Safety$3.3M$3.0M
Health and Social Services$0$0
General Government$897,355$849,963
Debt Service$3.1M$3.1M
Culture and Recreation$474,090$414,223
Community and Economic Development$298,372$55,477
Capital Projects$9.1M$2.7M
Business Type / Enterprise$649,244$502,561

What it spent each year

FY24 left out6

$20.9M

Debt, reserves and audits

How local debt works · What an audit tells you

What Windsor Heights owes

$14.5M at June 30, 2026: $2,768 per resident. 306th most per resident of 939 Iowa places of its kind (the list).7

$18.7M
$14.5M
June 30OwedPer resident
2026$14.5M$2,768
2025$16.2M$3,080
2024$17.7M$3,373
2023$10.7M$2,030
2022$13.2M$2,521
2021$16.0M$3,048
2020$18.7M$3,569
2019$7.0M$1,342
2018$8.5M$1,614
2017$11.6M$2,204
2016$10.1M$1,927
2015$11.6M$2,218
2014$13.0M$2,470
2013$10.3M$1,970
2012$11.4M$2,162
2011$12.8M$2,441
2010$14.0M$2,661
Show the numbers
June 30OwedPer resident
2026$14.5M$2,768
2025$16.2M$3,080
2024$17.7M$3,373
2023$10.7M$2,030
2022$13.2M$2,521
2021$16.0M$3,048
2020$18.7M$3,569
2019$7.0M$1,342
2018$8.5M$1,614
2017$11.6M$2,204
2016$10.1M$1,927
2015$11.6M$2,218
2014$13.0M$2,470
2013$10.3M$1,970
2012$11.4M$2,162
2011$12.8M$2,441
2010$14.0M$2,661

Up 4% since 2010.

The 5% limit8

General obligation debt is $13.8M, 49% of the limit of about $27.9M (5% of $558.7M, the full value of its taxable property in 2024).

5 obligations at June 30, 2026
KindForPaid off byOwed
General Obligation2024A General Obligation Urban Renewal Bonds2044$7.8M
General Obligation2020A College/Allison/69th Street Projects and 2014A Refunding2033$3.7M
General Obligation2020B University Ave Street Project2035$2.2M
Revenue Bonds2016B-Refunding Bonds- Hickman Road Cap Project2028$525,000
Revenue Bonds2016A Refunding Community Center Capital Project2028$260,000

General obligation bonds are repaid from property taxes; revenue bonds and loans from the fees or revenue they’re tied to. On the Treasurer’s site

Money in reserve

The state’s budget files don’t include cities’ fund balances9. Windsor Heights’s latest audit has them: Financial Statement, period ending Sunday, June 30, 2024 (PDF).

Audits10

The latest: Financial Statement for the period ending Sunday, June 30, 2024 (PDF), released Thursday, April 3, 2025, by a CPA firm.

15 earlier reports for Windsor Heights

State money

What the State of Iowa pays the city each year, and whether it has kept up with prices. Does state money keep pace? 11

What the state pays the city every year

Road Use Tax for streets, the commercial and industrial tax “backfill”, and ambulance reimbursement, paid every year by formula: $922,815 in FY25, up 35% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 7% more. Grants are below.

Show the numbers
SourceFY22FY23FY24FY25
Road Use Tax (streets)$716,229$722,734$741,858$853,423
Commercial and industrial tax replacement (“backfill”)$8,373$97,150$22,212$69,392

Grants and project money

State grants and money for specific projects (roads, development, natural resources) vary with what the city applies for and wins, so they aren’t counted as the state’s regular support.

$1.0M
  • State grants$1.0M100%
YearGrants and projects
FY19$51,721
FY20$29,595
FY21$328,649
FY22$861,007
FY23$13,930
FY24$54,440
FY25$1.0M
Show the numbers
YearGrants and projects
FY19$51,721
FY20$29,595
FY21$328,649
FY22$861,007
FY23$13,930
FY24$54,440
FY25$1.0M

Has it kept up with prices?

Each source from FY19 to FY25, after inflation.

  • Road Use Tax (streets)+8%$627,842 → $853,423, up 36% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 8% more
  • Commercial and industrial tax replacement (“backfill”)−4%$57,860 → $69,392, up 20% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 4% less

Collected by the state for the city

The local option sales tax is a city tax voters approved; the state collects it with the state sales tax and sends it back. It isn’t state aid. It’s up 75% since FY20 while prices rose 24%, so it buys 41% more.

$1.5M

Federal grants, for comparison: $306,356 in FY25.

Business awards

Every award statewide

Elections

Running for mayor and city council

Filing opens Monday, August 23, 2027: in 284 days.

For the Tuesday, November 2, 2027 election, candidates file Monday, August 23, 2027 to Thursday, September 16, 2027 with the county auditor (or the city clerk, if the auditor names the clerk to take them)12.

In a city that can hold a primary, filing runs Monday, August 9, 2027 to Thursday, August 26, 2027.

Most recent: November 4, 2025

City · 2

3 seats: the top 3 win.

Local races from civicAPI and county auditors for Windsor Heights; official results are on each county auditor’s site.

Who has filed for Tuesday, November 2, 2027

Filing hasn’t opened. These seats are expected on the ballot.

  • Windsor Heights City Council At-Large (2 seats)
    Now held by Susan Skeries, Threase Harms

Candidates as county auditors and civicAPI list them; a filing can take a few days to appear here13.

Past ballot measures

None found since 2022.

When a measure can be on the ballot

  • Tuesday, March 2, 2027 · no bond or debt questions
  • Tuesday, September 14, 2027 · no bond or debt questions
  • Tuesday, November 2, 2027 · any question, including bonds
  • Tuesday, March 7, 2028 · no bond or debt questions

Bonds and other borrowing can only go on the November ballot14.

Related places

At the Statehouse and in Congress15

Renee Hardman (Sen. 16)Jennifer Konfrst (Rep. 32)

U.S. House:District 3

Polk CountyDes Moines Independent schoolsWest Des Moines schools